Woof woof! Yes, it’s me again…GTN Newshound…and I’ve got a right old tail-wag on, I can tell you! Y’see, isstry (as we used to call it) was one of my fave subjects at puppy school, always something to get your fireman’s hose into…and this week, what have I got to work on a bit of an isstry project! Exciting,yeah? Like to know more? Then read on …

Sometimes, you’ve just got to listen when a little bird sings, agreed? And this little bird, a sparrow with a limited repertoire, a somewhat cryptic turn of phrase and a huge capacity for long-distance flight, drops a fruity little clue to yours truly about something he’s spotted during a raid on an unattended peanut feeder.

“So?” I say. “Garden centre…,” he says. “New boss man…workers…something happening… frowns… smiles…toilet flushing. Can’t say more…”

“Just a mo,” I say. “You’re not making sense yet. Anything else?

“Hi-Fun,” he says. “Boss man’s name…having Hi-Fun.”

“You’re still not making sense, my old sparra. Where was this, anyway?”

“Scotland…in Derbyshire.”

“But..Scotland’s not in Derbyshire….or even vice versa.”

“Lot of isstry. Tweet tweet…bye-bye.”  And off he flits to the next fat ball.

I’m thinking….garden centre…new boss man…Hi-fun…Scotland…Derbyshire…isstry…a trail as cold as a frozen pie.

But then, but then…Let’s turn the bugle on good old Google and see what turns up.

Garden centres in Scotland…..OK, there’s a pile of em and not one is owned by anyone called Derbyshire. Garden centres in Derbyshire….mmm, that’s a more promising shortlist. So one might be getting a new boss…but where does Scotland fit in?….Oh no…oh yes! Look at this…Scotland Nurseries, Matlock.

And that nice Mr Google tells me that Scotland Nurseries does indeed have a lot of isstry…possibly 300 years of it, even if the evidence is a bit skimpy. Turns out they’ve been growing nursery stock there for 150 years (and potatoes and veggies when there were wars on). They even got a Royal Warrant in 1966 on account of having supplied Balmoral, Sandringham and the Castle of Mey. Twenty years further down the line, two local businessmen turned it into a garden centre, which is run today by one of their descendants, Peter Reynolds, and his wife Yvonne.

Isstry? Luv it!

But there’s still one piece of this puzzle not fitting, isn’t there.

A new boss man called Hi-Fun. Chinese? North American? East Anglian, perhaps? Nope…none of the above. Having hi-fun….of course, cracked it, what took me so long! Not Hi-Fun but hyphen…new boss man’s name has a hyphen.

If it’s who I think it is, he runs a garden centre chain beginning with H and he’s just about to buy his 10^th garden centre.

Thank-you, thank-you! Send the tip to Greenfingers. Woof woof!

Postscript: if the little bird is right, and Wyevale GC end up buying Dobbies, this is how the State of the National Garden Centre chart will look this summer…

With the intent to make products more accessible to stockists, Meadow View Stone have combined their three distinct product collections of aggregates, stoneware and paving all together in one concise but extensive catalogue.

Furthermore, this entire product collection is distributed from their central depot, giving stockists complete flexibility to mix and match this comprehensive collection of products to meet order parameters. 

Marketing Director Sarah Hill stated “Combining all three product areas within one ultimate collection gives stockists a complete feel for how our products relate to one another and inter-connect. This collection embraces our brand ethics of providing quality products that not only offer great profit return, but equally a point of difference to our many stockists in a competitive market place.” 

Also featured within the brochure is a selection of “close up snap shots” of their newly re-designed POS merchandising to give retailers a true feel for how the products are promoted in store. 

The new brochure eloquently delivers all the products and sales tools that are available to retailers, giving them the confidence to order a collection of quality products on a single cost efficient delivery, from a single trusted supplier.



For further information, contact Meadow View Stone on 01948 841607 or download your copy here

• Garden Products - static 0%
• Veg-2-Gro - down 46%
• Growing Media - down 24%
• All Items Index - down 17%

David Domoney’s Cultivation Street community gardening campaign is set to treble its readership following the switch of his week-end double-page spread from the Sunday People to the Sunday Mirror.

The column provides valuable publicity for the campaign through case studies of schools, neighbourhoods and community gardening projects with practical gardening hints and tips.

The Cultivation Street competition to find the best neighbourhood gardens boasts a prize pot of £20,000 of National Garden Gift Vouchers through its association with the HTA and now has ‘ambassadors’ in more than 180 garden centres.

Domoney promotes the benefits of gardening on his television shows ITV1 This Morning, Channel 5’s Saturday Show and ITV1’s flagship gardening programme Love your Garden.

The Briers team presented the new Briers International Collection at this year's National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada.

On Booth #10471, the accomplished Briers trio of Jackie Eades (Managing Director), Liam Walsh (International Sales Manager, he's the one on the right) and Matt Jackson (UK National Sales Manager) were busy welcoming everyone into the beautiful world of Briers.

As part of the company's commitment to further expand and grow in North America, Briers exhibited on its very own booth, or stand as it’s known in the UK, for the first time at this prestigious and influential show.

The collections being showcased were:

• Historic Royal Palaces Baroque Collection (as seen on HSN in 2016)
• Briers Kids Range (increasingly popular Briers range in the USA)
• The Children's Gruffalo Collection (best-selling book characters)
• William Morris Collections (iconic and famous patterns brought to life)

Briers - designed in Somerset, United Kingdom

www.briersltd.co.uk

Dan Robson, founder of Green Digit Gardening and inventor of an innovative seed germination system, has won The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award.

Dan set up Green Digit in 2014 while studying design for industry at Northumbria University. After a work placement in a plastics packaging business, he realised that he could help to reduce waste by making packaging part of the product.

He developed SeedCell - a seed germination system made with recycled packaging. The packaging is used to directly push seeds into the soil. It is fully biodegradable and retains water, which ensures that the germinating seed receives sufficient moisture but cannot be over-watered.

The system has already earned him a grant through GIMA’s Seed Corn Award for new garden industry businesses.

Northumbria University's student and graduate enterprise scheme provided Dan with business start-up advice, office space within the Northern Design Centre and mentoring that has provided access to investment capital.

SeedCell is already sold in Homebase and B&Q with plans for distribution in Europe, the USA and the Middle East.

The Duke of York, who presented Dan with his award at the University of Huddersfield, accepted some samples, which he said he would pass on to the Prince of Wales.

Dan said: “We are really excited about how much has happened over the last six months. We have had a fantastic response to the product and are working on a new product that will allow you to grow herbs indoors all year round. The Duke of York himself seemed very taken with the product and went home with three SeedCells in his bag, adding he would pass them on to the Prince of Wales. Maybe one day we can have SeedCell by Royal appointment!"

The 100-plus graduate companies supported by Northumbria University since 2009 today employ around 950 staff and have a combined turnover of £62.2 million. Most are based in the north-east but are trading nationally and internationally.

The row over an enforcement notice served on the owners of Hare Hatch Sheeplands garden centre is to end up in court, following the local council’s rejection of a petition signed by thousands.

The garden centre was ordered to close a number of facilities in 2012 for green belt infringement. More than 10,000 customers and staff signed the petition asking Wokingham Borough Council to withdraw the notice.

But the council argued that as the notice related to a “planning decision”, it could not be reviewed. It then proceeded with an injunction against the owners and several of the concessions trading there.

The case was due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday, this week but was postponed because both parties felt insufficient time had been allocated for the hearing, which is now likely to take place in June.

In a statement, the council said: “Unfortunately, the petition refers to an enforcement notice that has been deemed to constitute a ‘planning decision’.

“Under the council’s constitution, petitions which refer to ‘any matter relating to a planning decision’ cannot be accepted.”

Earlier, the council had turned down two planning applications designed to meet the enforcement notice conditions. The owners now intend to fight for a judicial review

A public enquiry into their appeal against the council's refusal to grant a certificate of lawful use for various activities on the site will be held on 6 September.

Owner Rob Scott said: “It is a kick in the teeth to the 10,000 individuals who have signed a petition calling on the council to grant us this certificate.

“Wokingham Borough Council seems hell bent on taking action which will close us down and which is totally against the wishes of thousands of the people who elected them into power.

“By taking this action the council has effectively found us guilty before we have even had the opportunity for our case to be heard by a government appointed inspector in September.”

Wyevale Garden Centres, in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, were awarded Gold at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival this week for their show garden ‘Gardening Amidst Ruins: a homage to Capability Brown’.

The garden’s designer, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, and David Mitchell from Wyevale Garden Centres also became the first recipients of a Gold Medal for the new Best Construction award. The award recognises outstanding achievement in the construction of the show garden and the team’s expertise in the challenge of turning a blank space into a captivating tribute to Capability Brown, with every plant in bloom.



David Mitchell, who is the plant buyer at WGC, said: “Against the odds we have successfully created a vision that will encourage gardeners at home with all plants on display available at our centres nationwide. We hope that everyone who visits over the next four days comes away feeling inspired however green fingered they are.”

TV presenters Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don visited the winning garden. Alan described it as ‘astonishing’ and ‘total perfection in a rustic kind of way’ whilst Monty labelled the garden ‘imaginative and beautiful, nothing like I’ve ever seen before’.

Landscape designeer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan said it was his first ever show garden. “I feel incredibly proud to not only have been part of a winning team, but also to have worked with such determined and creative individuals on this challenging project,” he added. “We feel that this garden is a deserving tribute to the enduring legacy of Lancelot Capability Brown in his 300th year.”

• Red is the nation’s favourite basket flower colour
• Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ named best basket plant 
• Begonias, fuchsias and petunias hold the top slots but....
•  60% of gardeners are planning to try something new in their summer baskets this year
• Hanging basket numbers per garden ranged from 1 to 28, but the average is 5.4 per plot
• 15% of gardening households don’t include hanging baskets in their summer displays

Hanging baskets are all about showing off and adding colour to the garden scene, so Thompson & Morgan was keen to identify the nation’s favourite floral basket shades. When gardeners were invited to take the Thompson & Morgan online survey this spring, the top three flower colours were red (24%), purple (22%) and pink (17%). Just 5% prefer white flowers, and while only 10% chose yellow and 9% orange, Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ received the most mentions as a favourite hanging basket plant, with trailing begonias, petunias and fuchsias in general filling the top slots.

The survey findings reveal that the majority of basket gardeners use just two or three flower colours in their basket displays (38%), with only 9% sticking to one colour. 26% go all out with a riot of mixed colour in their baskets, while 27% of respondents said they employ a combination of single colours, duos, trios and mixes across their various baskets.

Hanging baskets seem to be the place for gardeners to experiment with new plants, with over 60% looking to try something different in their displays this summer. Thompson & Morgan sales analysis shows that the new edible Fuchsia Berry and the unusually speckled Petunia ‘Night Sky’ are stand out ‘experimental’ basket options for customers this season.

Tastes in basket style are fast changing too, with just 13 per cent opting for traditional moss-lined wire baskets. Coir matting is now the preferred option for lining older style baskets, but 45% of respondents said they had no need for basket liners as they now use pre-lined wicker baskets or plastic Easy Fill Baskets that need no lining at all. These were also chosen for their durability and ease of planting and upkeep through the season.

Only 36% of basket gardeners have tried fruit or vegetables in their hanging displays, despite many edible plants being suitable for baskets. For those that do grow their own this way, strawberries, tomatoes and mixed herbs were the most common planting option, but the new edible Fuchsia Berry and basket Blackberry ‘Black Cascade’ look set to shake things up.

Gardeners are savvy about the benefits of regular deadheading of basket plants to promote more flowers and extend the life of their baskets – Just 1% admitted to never deadheading, saying life is too short. But 31% dead head their basket plants on a weekly basis, and 29 % do it daily. 23% deadhead twice a week, leaving 15 percent to do it “when remembered”.

Thompson & Morgan’s survey also threw up some interesting findings when it comes to the nation’s use of winter and spring hanging baskets, to be revealed soon.

Squire’s Garden Centres have donated plants from their ‘80th Celebration Collection’, a range of their favourite plants over the past 80 years, to make a flowerbed in Gostrey Meadow Park in Farnham.

The planting list includes roses, geraniums, lavender and trachelospermum (Star Jasmine) for scent as well as colour.

To apply for this role click here

• Woodlodge Small Pot Feet is the highest climber, jumping 15 places to No 6.
• Gardman Solar Ice Orb (10cm) is the highest re-entry at No 16.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

• Bean Runner Dwarf Patio Hestia Strips was the highest climber, moving up 34 places to No 8.
• Chilli Pepper Scotch Bonnet 8cm was the highest re-entry at No 28.

• Vital Earth Organic Compost was the highest re-entry at No 13.
• Another product returning to the chart was Scotts Levington Organic Blend Topsoil (25 litres) at No 18.
• Scotts  Levington Multipurpose + John Innes (56 litres) retains the top spot for another week.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Bents Garden & Home have handed over a cheque for £25,907 to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, beating their target by more than £10,000 and breaking the centre’s fund-raising record.

Matthew Dickinson, whose two-year old son Isaac was diagnosed with the condition at birth, led the campaign.

Bents has nominated Epilepsy Action as its 2016 charity of the year. MD Matthew Bent’s son Elliot was diagnosed with the condition last year.

Matthew Bent said:  “We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and have to say a massive thank you to Matthew and his passion and commitment to a cause which is so close to his heart.

 “And a huge thank you also to all our customers and colleagues who have helped throughout the year to make the campaign such a success.  We are now looking forward to working with Epilepsy Action and are keen to do just as well in 2016.”

Epilepsy can affect anyone at any age and from any walk of life. “I have had a direct personal experience of this year’s charity, of the vital work and support they provide,” Matthew Bent said. “Along with my wife Vicky and the rest of the family I’m looking forward to taking on some special challenges this year and hoping we can have another successful year of fundraising.”

Three more garden market suppliers – Paroh, Bonnington Plastics and Globus – have joined the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).

Birmingham-based Paroh, a global importer and distributor, supplies garden retailers with Kent Collection solar lighting, Matford Lavendar, Yellowstone outdoor adventure products, New York Gift, Active Living and Hilly’s Kitchen.

Bonnington Plastics, which has been trading for 45 years and is one of the largest importers of value for money gardening, DIY and housewares products in Europe, supplies multiple retailers, independents and internet retailers with around 2,500 lines from its warehouse in Nottingham. It has its own office in China.

Since its formation over two decades ago, privately-owned Globus has become a dominant player in the hand protection industry, with gardening gloves among its many high quality products. It has headquarters in Manchester and a regional operation in Dubai.

• Who will buy Dobbies? Spotlight on the leading contenders.
• Preview of Chelsea Flower Show - Spotlight on new plant varieties.
• Garden tools that make life easier.
• GTN's Greatest Awards - how to enter.
• The case for EPoS - a great opportunity unity to communicate with target consumers.

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

Coffee roaster, Matthew Algie, a popular garden centre supplier, will return to the Caffè Culture Show, the UK’s major gathering for the café and coffee community, which takes place at Olympia next week (10-11 May).

Matthew Algie is a well-established coffee shop authority, supplying coffee, machines, training and industry insight to thousands of operators across the UK and Ireland.

Visitors will be able to sample their current range of espresso blends including Ruby Red’s Quartet which brings together beans from three continents to create a full-on fruity hit with syrupy sweetness, and Crafty Little Number which combines one Columbian and two Brazilian coffees to create sweet chocolate notes with a buttery body. At the filter bar visitors can enjoy refreshing cold brew and the latest range of single origin microlots through AeroPress, V60 and Chemex.

The latest Espresso Warehouse range will also be available for sampling, including a number of blended summer drinks, Chocolate Abyss, Suki Tea and the recently expanded gluten free range of snacks including Broderick’s Gluten Free Rocky Road and Gluten Free Caramental.

Andrew Jack, Head of Marketing at Matthew Algie, commented: “We’re looking forward to welcoming our trade customers to the stand where they will have the chance to sample some of the newest additions to our hand roasted filter coffee and espresso collections. We’ll also be presenting our refreshing summer drinks recipes and ingredients, along with a selection of accessories and delicious accompaniments from our brand new Espresso Warehouse catalogue.”

For those looking for insider tips, a team of coffee specialists from Matthew Algie will be on hand to talk about everything from coffee trends and menu development to selecting the perfect machine and getting the most from staff training.

Matthew Algie will be on stand C2.